Events in a rural Western New York town have "inspired death threats, rowdy protests, shadowy figures skulking in the woods, intercessions by Fox News and Joaquin Phoenix, stolen chickens, county and state legislation, and a court battle featuring a rotating cast of lawyers." Per a feature in the New York Times by Christopher Maag, two cows named Blackee and Hornee are behind the hubbub, after they escaped from their farm in Newfane and ended up in the yard of a nearby 27-acre animal sanctuary owned by Tracy Murphy. It should've been a simple return once Murphy found out the heifer and steer belonged to neighbor Scott Gregson, but Murphy instead demanded ownership proof and $2,500 from Gregson to pay for the nine days she'd cared for the cows—or she wanted to buy the cows, renamed Little Willow and Ismael, outright.
A lengthy battle ensued, and in the two years since, "the town of Newfane ... has never been the same," writes Maag. Murphy took to social media to publicize what was happening, as well as to post Gregson's address and phone number. Threats were leveled against both Gregson and Murphy, with the latter mocked for her pro-vegan stance by people constantly driving by her property. "I was afraid for my life," she says. Farms were also targeted by those who sided with Murphy. She was arrested by state troopers—Gregson's colleagues, as he's also a cop—and the cows were taken from her in August 2022. Murphy faces a reduced misdemeanor charge of petit larceny; her trial begins in October. Meanwhile, a sad conclusion for the escapees: Gregson sold Blackee and Hornee soon after getting them back and they were subsequently slaughtered. Read the story in full, including how Phoenix figures into it all. (More Longform stories.)
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